What makes Beyoncé so remarkable? Um, what doesn’t make the multi-Grammy Award winning performer, visual artist and culture catalyst phenomenal?
Bey’s two-hour Coachella set (now aptly named ‘#Beychella’, with the new title being tweeted over two-million times worldwide) is being called the performance of the star’s 20-year career. From her early days as p ofart Destiny’s Child to her transformative solo work that’s defined 21st century pop culture, Beychella has the world (and us, TBH) shook.
If you’ve read the think-pieces dedicated to celebrating, critiquing and studying the magnetism of one of the greatest creative artists of our time, you’ll know why the performance is a defining moment in music.
In case you haven’t caught up on the details (no judgement here, bbz) we made a Beychella List of all the ways the undisputed kween of music changed the game:
1 Beyoncé is the first black woman to headline Coachella
Bey was meant to perform at Coachella 2017. The icon couldn’t commit, however, due to being pregnant with future royalty (twins Rumi and Sir Carter). This year, Bey was ready to make it known that she’s here to snatch edges and make history as the first black woman to headline Coachella.
‘Coachella, thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline,’ Beyoncé said, before singing Run the World.
2 The Destiny’s Child reunion
The moment we’ve all been waiting for since at least 2006 finally arrived.
Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined forces with Beyoncé for a trip down memory lane as the legendary Destiny’s Child. The iconic group also made history as the first girl group to perform at Coachella, absolutely slaying their cult hit tracks like Say my Name and Survivor.
3 The celebration of all things HBCU
The set was themed around historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). These are institutions in the United States that play a significant role in empowering and supporting black academia. Bey gave an ode to HBCU from the 100-member strong New Orleans-style marching band reminiscent of HBCU homecoming to the tradition-inspired costumes emblazoned on the Bey-approved yellow uniforms.
To demonstrate just how much she’s dedicated to educating black youth, Beyoncé made history AGAIN when she donated over R1 million to four HBCUs for the for the 2018-2019 academic year through her BeyGOOD initiative.
4 Shouting out black legends
Bey stays celebrating black identity by including work and artistry of black folks throughout history – from Fela Kuti to Nina Simone to Billy Holiday. The references to icons in the black culture lexicon were weaved into Bey’s performance and the nods to the greats set the tone for black excellence, a first for the Coachella stage.
5 Bey pulled a whole sister act with Solange
Beyoncé And Solange Dancing To Get Me Bodied. I Never Knew How Much I Needed This Until Now. I Love These Legendary Sisters. #BeyChella Pic.Twitter.Com/QptNpH7iNj
— . (@Goddessyonce) April 15, 2018
And last but not least, Solange came out for a surprise performance with her big sis, Bey. The duo delighted the crowd with an energetic performance of the classic, Get Me Bodied.
The sisters don’t usually perform on stage together, but this is the second time they’ve appeared at Coachella. It’s the first time since both of them made history in 2016 as one of the few siblings with No.1 hits on the Billboard 100 (Lemonade from Beyoncé and A Seat at the Table from Solange)
Bey changed the Coachella game forever by redefining the narrative from just another concert in California to a spectacle charged with celebrations of blackness that we don’t often see in mainstream media.
The impact alone will go down in the history books – we stan an icon!
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